Help me choose between these 240 gyutos

Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:34 pm

I am sure you are asked this same question over and over, but I am looking for your suggestion of my first gyuto. This will be for home use only. My knife skills are basic but improving. What I am using currently is a hodge-podge of Sam's Club chefs knife (about 10 inch blade), henkels forged santuko, and a bunch of hand-me-downs. I can get by with the chefs knife but find it a bit heavy and cumbersome. I desire a lighter and quicker knife. I want a laser of a slicer. I have been collecting folding and fixed blade knives for a few years now and know a bit about steel types/qualities and have been teaching myself sharpening on the Lansky, Sharpmaker, belt sander, paper wheels, and oil stones. Still much to learn but I can ususally get shaving sharp on most of them. After some research the consensus seems to be one of the following 240mm Gyuto:

Tojiro DPFujiwara FKMRichmond ArtifexKagayaki Carbonext

I know you sell three of these but I would appreciate your opinion on all of them. To try and summarize it, the most important factors to me would feel in hand, and ability to take a wicked sharp edge and hold it.

Re: Help me choose between these 240 gyutos

I only have 3 of the 4 but I do have the Kikuichi TKC which is considered somewhat similar to the Carbonext.

Hi Todd,

My knife has a a few advantages over the others.

Price. It's less than all of the others.Steel. It's made of AEB-L which is one of my favorite stainless steels.

The Tojiro and FKM and my knife are fully stainless. The TKC is semi stainless and will discolor a bit over time.

The other 3 knives all have bolsters on them which adds weight to the knife and some people like them. I left it off my knife to keep the cost down so line cooks could afford a nice knife with good steel.

You won't go wrong with any of them. Maybe some others can give you a firm opinion on which to get.

Re: Help me choose between these 240 gyutos

Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:02 pm

If you really want an integral bolster and cannot spend over $100, the Fujiwara is where to go. If you really want an integral bolster and are willing to spend more than $100, get the Suisin Inox Western Gyuto.

If you are willing to drop the integral bolster in favor of steel quality, the Artifex has much better steel than any of the knives you listed. Much better.

Re: Help me choose between these 240 gyutos

Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:52 am

If I had to choose between those four it would be the Artifex. I have a couple knives with bolsters - Shun Classic and a Yoshihiro 240 Gyuto. I ended up with a Tanaka Wa-Gyuto in #2 blue steel as my go to knife and I prefer not having a bolster adding weight to the knife and bulk to the grip area. If you're willing to roll the dice I'd look at the Tojiro Shirogami Wa-Gyuto - Hard knife to beat for the price.